


The Back of A Cop Car

by Quietnerdgasm



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 11:30:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14893802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quietnerdgasm/pseuds/Quietnerdgasm
Summary: A date in a field goes awry. Percabeth. One-shot.





	The Back of A Cop Car

**Author's Note:**

> First post. Let's see how this goes.

The air is the perfect mild warmth of a sweltering summer day made calm by the retreating sun still strong enough to splash the watercolor sunset above their heads and reflect distractedly off of Annabeth’s hair. Percy may have been actively trying to keep his eyes on the narrow dusty road, but there was so much to look at. The windows were rolled down, and it didn’t seem to bother her that it teased and played with the loose ends of her sunlit hair. She looked perfectly at ease on the other end of the bench seat of his truck, one leg tucked under the other as she leaned against the door, humming along to the music as her hand flirted with the passing wind. 

“Where are we going?” she said suddenly as she turned to face him, a smirk implying itself at the corner of her mouth when she finds him already looking at her. 

“If you must know, I know a spot where we can watch the airplanes take off, and you can see a thousand stars after the sun sets.” 

Annabeth hummed in reply, grey eyes dancing over his face. “And the no trespassing sign we flew by earlier?”

“Merely a formality.” Percy flashed her a quick grin. “I’ve been out here a hundred times and have never seen anybody else.” 

His nonchalance was tempered by his uncertainty of her reaction to the questionable legality of the thing, but Annabeth lets out a quick laugh before that smirk reappeared in full force. “Mr. Jackson, are you trying to get me alone?”

“Always.” He beams, taking one last look at her before turning his eyes back to the road, sure that he isn’t imagining her leaning towards him. He can only hope that he feels her eyes bouncing over his skin, not just his own anxiousness. Because Annabeth Chase is one of the only things in the world that can make him truly anxious. 

An hour later and Percy is amazed that this is going better than he could have imagined. Staring up at the sky or each other, he and Annabeth talked without pause as the stars twinkled into place in the rapidly darkening sky. Though they had started with a comfortable and respectable distance between them, they had managed to shift closer and closer until they were a whisper apart, shoulders brushing ever so lightly as Percy watched the tan thigh, visible by the grace of her denim shorts, get so near to pressing against the side of his jeans that he was pretty sure she was trying to drive him crazy.

He was supposed to be building himself up to ask her to be his girlfriend and ditch the weird ‘going steady and exclusive but not technically together’ thing, if only so it would be easier for him to gush about her to his mom. Percy desperately waited for Annabeth to close that last bit of space between them and assure him one last time that she wanted him before he broached the subject, but it didn’t happen. Instead Annabeth looked up at him, voice fading into nothing as she finished her last sentence. Her eyes met his, and the usual playful and intimidatingly intelligent edges were pushed to the outskirts of her irises by something Percy could not immediately identify until her gaze shifted to his mouth. Her thigh finally met his, but the action was eclipsed by the closing distance now between their lips. Percy was just about to close his eyes when the sound of tires spinning on gravel made them both freeze. He could read his own confused and frustrated expression in her eyes, and with a huff he leaned back to glare at the intruder, his heart stopping when his eyes registered the black and white paint job behind the headlights. 

Percy had enough time to mutter “Oh shit” before the search light came on, and he and Annabeth both flinched to shield their eyes from the unnecessary illumination. The opening of two doors was not quite loud enough to drown out the harsh pounding of his heartbeat in his ears, but his attention was pulled from the physical proof of his own discomfort when a voice yelled out “Do you have permission to be here?”

Slowly Percy slid off the tailgate, his eyes adjusted enough for him to see the bulky body of the speaking officer. Moving out of the direct path of the light, he stepped in front of Annabeth with his hands out. “We can move. Sorry sir.”

“Is this your truck?” The tone of voice did not imply anything good would come from this line of questioning, but Percy schooled his face and voice to be calm. 

“Yes sir.”

“And is this your land?”

“No sir.”

“Then son you’re trespassing. Come over here and put your hands on the car.” Percy’s shocked hesitation was covered by Annabeth’s unamused voice behind him. 

“Is that really necessary?” Percy turned his head toward her. He had been hoping that they would forget she was there, but now there would be no such luck. 

“Annabeth…” Percy started, but more commands were immediately barked out.

“Ma’am I’m going to have to ask you to hop on down. Sir, hands on the car.” Percy moved to the hood of the police car, hearing a huff and the crunch of gravel as Annabeth left the tailgate. His hands pressed against the hood, and the previously silent officer asked him what his name was and if he had anything sharp on him. As he replied the pat down began, and Percy stared at his hands, alternately blue then red in the light, and decided that this was the worst moment of his life. Looking over to his left he saw Annabeth, arms crossed and glaring at the older paunchy officer asking her name.

“Annabeth Chase. I appreciate the services you provide, but there have to be more pressing issues than two kids in a corn field.”

“Ms. Chase, daughter of Frederick Chase?” At her nod, he continued “I don’t have the time or obligation to explain the details of law enforcement – “

“Minor law enforcement.”

“The size of the crime doesn’t change the legality of it. Now I would recommend you just sit quiet-like while we talk to this young man. I would hate to have to tell your father how and why you were getting into trouble.” From the straight set of Annabeth’s mouth and the almost imperceptible clenching of her crossed arms, Percy knew the next thing out of her mouth would do little to positively advance the situation. 

Before he could speak though Annabeth’s voice, quiet and sharp was filling the space. “I didn’t realize the details of law enforcement included being paid to tattle tell. I wouldn’t have thought you had the time or obligation to report to my father.”

A beat later Annabeth’s hands were splayed across the hood from his, and Percy glared as his searcher seamlessly moved around the car, his hands running briskly and professionally over her clothes. 

“What this?” the officer asked as he a small foil square was produced from her pocket and held in the light. 

“Obviously it’s a condom.” She snapped, her ears and the bridge of her nose subtly burning just a shade too bright to be casual. Silence passed between the four of them for a moment, the officers stunned into silence, Annabeth glaring defiantly at both of them, and Percy’s eyes bobbling between that small square packet and its slightly pink owner. After what felt to Percy like the world’s longest awkward pause, the older officer, Hoover according to his name plate, turned to Percy, foil still shining on the hood of the car. “Jackson how old are you?”

Lacking the graceful and frankly adorable blush of Annabeth, Percy felt his whole face heat instantly, and could only imagine how he must look in the flashing lights. “Nineteen sir.”

“And you Ms. Chase?”

“Nineteen.” Percy saw a flicker of movement, a shift of weight as the young guy, Ellis, dragged his eyes across Annabeth’s body appreciatively. Percy’s hands were off the car in an instant as he moved to step in between the two of them. “Hey-“

“Back on the car!” Hoover’s bulk slammed Percy back against the vehicle, and his hands were behind his back and cuffed in an instant. An identical clicking was binding Annabeth’s hands together, and their eyes met before he was pulled off the hood and guided none too gently into the back seat. 

As his door was slammed shut the other opened, leading to Annabeth sitting gingerly next to him, arranging herself to be somewhat comfortable with her arms behind her back. Turning to him, she flashed a sad smile and said “You probably shouldn’t have done the whole sudden movement thing.”

Though abashed, Percy settled into his seat and grumbled at the door “Yeah, well I didn’t like how he was looking at you.” When her response wasn’t immediately forthcoming Percy risked a look up to see her still observing him. This was not the one of the looks that felt so strong they could have been a touch, or the teasing slide of her eyes over him, but the unbroken studying of him that Percy could feel her assessing his character, his thoughts, his very soul. This was Annabeth Chase at her scariest, when Percy felt like she could see all of him and decide he was lacking. Her head cocked to the side, and her mouth twitched into an almost smile. 

“We make quite the pair, don’t we?”

“Yeah.” Percy replied, shoulders relaxing minutely at the plural pronoun. “I’m sorry. I got us into this mess.”

“Well I sure didn’t help.” Her tone was remorseful, but she gave him a hell of a quirked eyebrow before adding “But those handcuffs are a good look for you.” Percy laughed genuinely, something he wouldn’t have thought was possible given the circumstances. 

“Hey now, I was defending your honor. It just took a turn for the weird.”

“Yeah, well, what can I say, I escalate things quickly.” Her laugh and light tone were undermined by the return of her pink ears. That blush made Percy disoriented, his head spinning gleefully while trying desperately to focus and contribute and not just stare at her. 

“Evidently. Not five minutes ago we were sitting on my truck having a grand old time.”

Annabeth hummed in agreement again. “Indeed. They interrupted a rather romantic night out.” 

At her admission Percy’s grin just about took over his face. “Romantic, huh?” Her answer was a rather exaggerated eye roll. 

“Alright, don’t get ahead of yourself Jackson.”

“Hey, I’m not the one caught by the cops with a condom in my pocket, Chase.” The girl groaned, closing her eyes and letting her head flop back against the seat. “That was exceedingly embarrassing. I’m not sure I will ever truly recover.”

“Well, you played it off incredibly well. Except for the world’s most obvious blush, but you know.” 

“Me? Compared to yours mine wasn’t even noticeable. I thought you were going to have a heart attack and keel over.” 

Percy couldn’t find it in him to be properly embarrassed as he laughed. “Can you blame a guy? The most gorgeous girl in this hemisphere is alone with me, and she’s brilliant and I’ve been crazy about her for months, and I was trying to get the courage just to ask her to be my girlfriend and she has a condom in her pocket. I was understandably unprepared.” His eyes drifted to his lap in the midst of his unintentional confession, and now he raises them again to meet hers. Illuminated in the blue light she looked surrealistically beautiful, her eyes shining as her expression flitting from soft to contemplative to determined. Her mouth fell open ever so slightly as she searched for a response, and Percy feels himself dangling from her lip, waiting for the words that would pass them next. 

“Would you do it again, if you could?” While not what he had expected, Percy considered her question and his answer is produced before his head finished realizing it was true. 

“I wouldn’t change one thing.” 

His body was quietly struggling to meet hers, leaning further with each passing moment, and this time when he saw what he recognized as want in her eyes he wasted no time in closing the distance, pressing his lips firmly against her soft ones. Annabeth did not hesitate to press forwards and return the kiss with equal vigor, a small sigh that hinted at being a moan escaping her throat. Percy couldn’t think, could barely breathe, and was more than happy to drown in all that was Annabeth Chase, right up until a series of sharp bangs on the window told them in no uncertain terms to knock it off. Percy remained still, with his forehead on hers as their pants gradually quieted in the suddenly too hot car, until he finally opened his eyes to find her already watching him again. His right arm had fallen asleep and he would sell everything he owned for them to be out of these handcuffs, and looking at a freshly kissed Annabeth was enough to make his chest feel just about four sizes too small. Feeling one side of his mouth pull into a grin, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away as he asked sarcastically “You think we’ll ever do things in the right order?”

Her smile was accompanied by a quick laugh before replying “It must be you. I’m usually very good at maintaining the proper order of events. Just being around you makes me skip steps.” 

They laughed together, still temptingly close, until Annabeth abruptly froze, eyes fixed somewhere over Percy’s shoulder. Immediately concerned and just a little panicked, Percy asked her what was wrong. Instead of actually answering him, Annabeth let out a very breathy 

“Percy you’re a genius” before planting another kiss on him and then pulling quickly away to pound her knee against the door, yelling “Excuse me, officer, we need to talk!”

Percy was left in the back seat, more than a little bewildered as Annabeth coerced her way out of the car, and the closed door made it impossible to catch the actual conversation happening between two increasingly uncomfortable officers and one handcuffed blonde. For the next minute or so Percy was stuck on the other side of the glass trying to figure out what they could possibly be talking about while getting distracted by the back of Annabeth’s legs in the flashing lights. After a time the policemen moved away to mumble to themselves while Annabeth stood immobile and defiant, until in slow motion one moved around to uncuff her, the other moving to Percy’s side of the car to collect him. The night air was buzzing around him as he was helped out of the car and his restraints taken off without a word or even a look. Confused, he looked back at Annabeth, who was finishing a rather nasty leer at officer Hoover as she rubbed her wrists. The older officer was glaring back, but between the line of his mouth and the set of Annabeth’s shoulders, Percy knew who won the battle. 

With nothing more than a nod, Annabeth turned and walked towards Percy’s truck, triumphantly plucking her little foil packet off the hood of the car as she went. Percy hastened to follow her, whispering as he came up beside her “Annabeth, what the hell did you say?” 

The girl was clearly fighting to keep her smug grin down, but for the first time ever Percy was seeing her fail at something. Lowly she replied “It was just like you said. There is an order, and they managed to skip some steps. When I pointed it out and highlighted how nasty it could become if they took us in and charged us, they agreed to let us go.”

Behind them Percy could hear the police car go into reverse, and he stopped to fully turn and appreciate this girl in this moment. In the retreating light of their would-be confinement, Annabeth was all tan, shadows and smiles, and in that moment Percy knew he was absolutely, dizzyingly in love with her, and allowed himself a moment to be totally in awe of her before announcing “Annabeth Chase, you are absolutely fucking brilliant”. His announcement preceded a sudden and very enthusiastic hug, which had Annabeth giggling as he lifted her off the ground, spinning once for good measure. He still hadn’t put her down when she wrapped her legs around him, acquiescing to her current position as she looked down at him beaming “Yeah, well, you weren’t so bad yourself.” Percy walked them to his still lowered tailgate, and gently lowered her down onto it before jumping up to join her. 

His hand found hers as he looked up at the now completely dark night sky, their only source of light from the half moon and a thousand pinhole stars. He looked over to see her also staring up at the stars, the light draping her face just enough that Percy’s eyes could trace over every inch of it. Feeling the weight of his stare, she turned her attention back to him, her soft accent floating through the night “It’s almost like we never left. We could probably just pick right up where we left off.”

Percy could already feel his body burning, remembering exactly what he had been trying to do when they were interrupted. “If I remember correctly, I was successfully romancing you and we were about to kiss.” He leaned ever so slightly toward her, and was rewarded when she subtly followed suit. 

“Oh, no, I remember that you were trying to get up the courage to ask me to make it official.” Percy had forgotten that that was exactly what he had been trying to do, but he was able to forgive himself by chalking it up to his physical draw to her. With a confidence he didn’t feel, he managed to relatively calmly say “We were almost arrested together. If that isn’t enough, I’ll ask later.” 

The very corner of her lip was hitched under her teeth, and the curl she had tucked behind her ear was circling the spot on her neck that he wanted his lips to land on. It was these details he was trained on when she spoke, mock challenge shading her tone “What, Jackson, are you going to impress me with your prowess until I can no longer reject you?”

Percy couldn’t tell if his heart had just frozen or if it was actually about to explode. “Uh, I’m not entirely sure. Do you have plans to use your, uh, little foil pack?” Her laugh was graciously playful on the heels of his bumbling question. 

“No, I don’t think so.” Percy let out a breath, not sure if he was relieved or disappointed, both of which were immediately lost as those grey eyes took on a wicked gleam. 

“But there are, as you may say, an order in which things should be done. I think there are some available steps between here and there.” She was still smiling as she climbed into his lap, lips swallowing the whimper that didn’t quite die in his throat.


End file.
